Study: Religion steadily declining, generation by generation

FRESH DATA IN
From one generation to another, the gap between who believes in gods and who doesnt, are bigger and bigger. A new national survey just released reveals the dramatic shifts in belief and the rise in the number of atheists.


Christianity down in ALL states except only 2
One shift to note is the change in people who claim to be christian:

* It is up in only 2 states, Louisiana by 8% and Rhode island by 2%. All other states have decline in christians.



HOW MANY PEOPLE DONT CLAIM ANY RELIGION:

* ITS UP EVERYWHERE, for example in Vermont by 21%


See how U.S. religious landscape has changed in nearly 2 decades:
usatoday.com...
(interactive graphic showing data collected over 18 years from the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS).)


Losing Your Religion?
www.youtube.com...


America Is Becoming Less Christian, Less Religious
In the last 18 years, despite population growth and immigration, almost all religious denominations have lost ground.
abcnews.go.com...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/358e31c4f964.jpg[/atsimg]

3 links here:
survey graph: usatoday.com...
survey on tv (video): www.youtube.com...
in the paper: abcnews.go.com...

[edit on 24-3-2009 by Daniem]

Very good sources and evidence.
I think the question is: why is this religion gap growing between generations? Why?

Especially in the past year or two with the bad economy, I would have guessed that being out of a job/worrying about the future would be paired with a RISE in religion.

I think more people are simply waking up to the truth around them. Many people have been shocked in the last few months and become disillusioned with government. The things they once had faith in are no more. It often takes a profound shock to shake people out of there sleep. So you look for answers and, as we all know, one question leads to a thousand others.

To me, this is all "a good thing" (thanks for the quote Martha)

edit for misspelled word

[edit on 24-3-2009 by liveandlearn]

i don't think it's so great. who's to say that the few decades of research pinpoints some sort of decline in religious belief? how do you know that there wasn't a steep INCLINE in religious belief at the beginning of this test where beforehand there was hardly any?

kingdomengineers.wordpress.com..." target="_blank" class="postlink">kingdomengineers.wordpress.com... nd/


I know you are talking about all religions But from the perspective of christians its something that has burden us as well. even within the church itself because they no longer want to seek out the face of GOD because to sit before the LORD is to change and be challenged. the link ive provided is to a christian website that talks about the topic at hand and how the bible gives in sight into "a famine in the land" but not a famine of bread but of the ability to hear GODs word

"We were right, religion goes away."


Would that mean that 20 years ago religion would have right? After all you are claiming your way is right because it is ahead in the polls.

What happens in lets say 50 years and religion is popular again? Will those who follow be considered right and the rest wrong?


Religion has been popular for a very very long time. Just because it has hit their first rough patch in 2000+ years doesn't automatically make the oppossing side right.

reply to post by Mozzy


What? What does that matter? the fact remains that it declines, whether it be back to what it used to or to lower levels.

reply to post by Mozzy


Even if that's the case, the end result is that there is this decline. I was raised a christian and i have since moved on. It would be no different if I had started without a religion, found one and dropped it. Point is moot. =)

[edit on 24-3-2009 by an0maly33]

reply to post by jd140


I think what he meant is that some people hypothesized that the belief in religion was declining. The OP provided information that supports that hypothesis.

Not that believing or not believing in religion is right.

Originally posted by Mozzyhow do you know that there wasn't a steep INCLINE in religious belief at the beginning of this test where beforehand there was hardly any?

Does it matter? Does an incline previously mean that a subsequent decline is not a decline? Sounds like church logic to me.

Essentially, what you're saying, is that, even though the thermometer went from 100* F to 70* F, that there was not a 30 degree drop in temperature, because the temperature might have been lower than 100 before you looked at it.

I think its because of the information age ie the internet,people are confronted with varying beliefs more than ever and not contained in little bubble religious environments.I also think there may be less stigma therefore the numbers haven't actually gone up but more people are comfortable to say they are agnostic or atheist rather than conforming to religious doctrine.

[edit on 24-3-2009 by Solomons]

reply to post by ravenshadow13


yeah thats right, thats what it means. some people hypothesized that the belief in religion was declining.

Could it be that religion is declining while spirituality is rising?

There is a difference between the two.

reply to post by Unit541



I like how when someone says something in defense of Religion that doesn't make alot of sense you chalk it up to "church logic".


Maybe the guy thought what he was typing sounded smart and that it made sense in his head?

You are right, just because there was a rise doesn't mean that it cancels out the following decline.

I can see where he is right too. A rise and subsequent decline could mean that it is maintaining or depending on the rise to decline ratio it could mean that even with the decline it is still rising.

For example- Lets say 5 people convert then 2 go back to not believing. While it rose 5 it fell 2. So it actually rose by 3 people. The decline had little effect on the rise.

Thats how I read it anyways. Maybe I am wrong also and he will explain a little better.

reply to post by L.I.B.


Maybe, but I don't think so.
I think that generally spirituality and religion are both in decline, but more studies would need to be done to prove that.

reply to post by Daniem


If thats what you meant then I agree with you.

The title should be touched up a little so that people won't misunderstand what you are trying to convey.

Maybe something like- Study finds that belief in Religion is declining.

Something like that instead of a we are right they are wrong title.

reply to post by jd140


The OP claimed no such thing. Sometimes it's not enough to open your mind, sometimes you actually have to open your eyes and read the post.

If I say religion is declining, then bring forth facts to support my claim, that makes me right. The op never even implied that believing or not believing is right or wrong.

reply to post by Unit541


The title of the thread implies it.

His post never did imply it. I actually enjoyed the info he provided. The title does imply though that someone is right and someone is wrong.

reply to post by jd140


Still don't get it? Let me state it to you this way.

FACT: 18 years ago, more people held religious beliefs than do today.

FACT: Less people hold religious beliefs than did 18 years ago.

FACT: Going from "More" to "Less" is called a decline. Sometimes, depending on the context, the word "decrease" is used.

FACT: Whether or not religious beliefs increased sometime before 18 years ago is irrelevant. This thread isn't about some 200 year average of the number of believers. Nor is it about the net number of believers in a given time period. It's about the number of people holding religious beliefs 18 years ago, versus the number of people holding religious beliefs today. It happens to be, that 18 years ago, there were more people with these beliefs than there are today. Again, this is commonly known as a decline, or decrease.

reply to post by ravenshadow13


I don't know either... just seems that many times people who become more spiritual often leave their religion.